Friday, July 08, 2005

NSE mania

The current rise of stocks at the Nairobi Stock Exchange is spreading like a fever and everyone seems to be catching the bug. I got a bit worried when five ladies in the office filled out CDS forms (to start trading in stocks) - all intending to buy Kenya Airways stock. I guess they got tired of one person in the office who, against my advice, bought KQ at a then high of 48 shillings per share about a month ago, and has been bragging to all, but especially to me, now that it has passed the 75 shilling mark.

I’d be surprised if Kenya Airways and Titus Naikuni don’t win Company and Executive of the Year awards at tonight’s COYA Awards.

What is scary is a lot of these new investors don't know or care about PE ratios, dividends, history, trends or management of these companies. All they want is to buy at 82 and sell at 130. If it goes does to 60, they will bail out of the market entirely.

Forgive my ignorance, but what might be pushing up the stock that fast, and for how long will it keep running upwards? Plus, are these momentum investors aware of these factors that are causing the price surge, or are they just riding the wave for the hope of making a killing when the price peaks at God-knows-when?

WEll, that is the nature of the beast & some will be burnt. When & f the price falls, we should be ready to buy! IMHO, KQ is well run with a strong management team & support from KLM. Even KLM must be astounded by KQ's success that they are trying to edge into KQ's Uganda market!

It's a learning process for the new investors!

@low fidelity

Yes, there are momentum factors as well as intro of CDS makes it easier to sell. Thus more speculation/flipping.

Safaricom and Michael Joseph did it again - winning Company and Executive of the Year, but am not sure if Kenya Airways entered the competition: http://www.eastandard.net/hm_news/news.php?articleid=24864

Ms K P/E ratio means price earning ratio. You have to gauge what is the earning per share of each shareholder.@Bankelele, the last time i visited my stock broker to be was in January and at that time and if i had done what he had told me, i could be enjoying the best stock boom there was ever to be but market sense in Kenya is very simple. There is nothing to really scheme about, at the beginning of the year the prices are low due to christmas festivities and the fact that dividends have been declared and the dust settled down. This goes on upto April again when the quarter profits and final dividend is declared and the market upsurges again. I have been a market watcher for quite a while now, and i have realized just a slight change in management can affect the prices of shares. I was just wondering aloud, what if Naikuni resigned now? Let your people enjoy trading the KQ shares for now.